Golf Marathon at Muurame Golf Club

In Golf Marathon you play four rounds of golf ( 72 holes) in one day. In Muurame it toke 18 hours.

I am trying to import a video from the happening to my blog.

Blogging at golf.fi

I have been invited to blog at Finnish golf association's homepage
http://www.golf.fi/portal/golfliitto/golflehti/blogit/golfia_median_avulla/

I am very happy about the possibility - I don't know why? It's more work, but I hope I will get feedback on some ideas about golf.

This blog will continue - for a while at least, but it just might do to GTO. GTO is www.golf-tuition-online.com and I am at the forum there very often.

Something good in everything bad?

I have a inflammation in my ring fingers tendon. Probable from too much golf:-)
I make a support to my right wrist to keep my ring finger still. BUT I could not resist the temptation of going to the range to practice some short irons.

The fixed right wrist helped my swing very much. I was more relaxed and I could do a good hip rotation before contact.

Fighting your inner demons

Golf is 90 % mental. Well, after playing 2 - 4 rounds of 9 holes every day, I think it's also physical. Not just mental:-)

Looks like golf is all about accepting ones own abilities and fighting own demands or fears. I remember the fear of bad impact - not hitting the ball well. (It was yesterday). First it was at the range - when I learned to hit the ball there - then I was thinking of missing the ball at a practice round. Next it will be competition. Once you win your fear, you fill find something new to be afraid of. (And finally it will be fear of making a good round:-) Or fear of loosing you perfect swing?

When today was an incredible practice round. I was mentally in control. I did not hit too hard and felt like I could control the base of my swing. I felt like I was playing golf - not shooting lottery shots and wondering where fill my ball end up.

I am not saying that every shot was perfect. I lost 3 balls. BUT the feeling was good.

(Signed up for a 3 person scramble competition next Saturday

Balance is important

I had a back operation few years ago and my left leg in not fully recovered. I am training my core and things are getting better. For golf core muscles are important, but it's often difficult to evaluate the fitness of your core.

One very good way is to check your balance. Core muscles and hip keeps you in balance. For accuracy in golf balance is also very important.

Next tip is provided by Mike Pedersen, Founder of www.golf-trainer.com

"Here's an exercise you can do to improve this. While standing pick up one foot and bend that knee. Look straight ahead, but close your eyes and see how long you can hold it.

If it's for 10 seconds or less - not good. Need to work on it. If you can hold for 30 seconds or longer than start making small golf swings on one leg.

This will definitely be a challenge but will greatly improve your balance during your swing. In no-time you'll be swinging under control and hitting the kind of shots you're capable of."

Best thing is you can practice this almost anywhere:-)

Dropping HCP from 41 to single digits

Handicap shows the development of skills in golf. For next summer to drop my handicap I have made some goals. I cannot get playing before end of May:
May hcp 41
June hcp 18,5
July hcp 12,5
August hcp 9,5
September hcp 8

I think this is the way it might go:-)

PEI 13 for pitching wedge

I feel like a pro!

Just tested the first time my PEI and it's impressive 13%. Shooting 10 balls from 70 meters the average distance to the hole was under 9 meters. Every ball would have stayed on the green!

Well this was under practice - and shooting ten balls from the same place and from a range. Not from grass. I think that the PEI should be more like 7 % in situations like this. I am sure that after practicing a month I will get my Pitching wedges PEI under 10% and other iron clubs too.

Range is open and I am looking for PEI

Just read about Dave Pelz PEI (Percentage error index). It's much like the exercise I was thinking to do this summer - hit 10 balls and see how close to the target I can get them.

PEI is the same thing, but you just calculate the error % from the length of the shot. Looks like pro's have a PEI from 7 to 9 % and with a wedge from 15 to 20 %. (That's in a competition. I'm measuring just practice situations.)

From Pelz stats you can read that wedge is one of the most impartant tools you need to master to score well! It's wedge - not putter or driver!!!

Hannu